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Many people wonder where people from Hawaii go on vacation.
After all, coming from the best place on the face of the earth, where could
you go? Here are some of the places the EHF editor went on a recent trip
to the Mainland.
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Novato, California |
Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge
in San Francisco, California, lay the pleasant burgs of Marin County. As
you travel north on Highway 101, you will find yourself in Sausalito, a
Mediterranean-style seaside town. Full of restaurants and small boutiques,
Sausalito is a favorite stop of many tourists.
At the other end of Marin County, however you find a vastly different town called Novato. Established over 100 years ago, Novato, which means "valley of the gentle seasons", in the native American dialect, Miwok, is a quiet bedroom community. Having grown up in Novato, this editor noticed that the greatest changes were found in the people, while the town remained much the same. Oh, sure, a Costco here, a new restaurant there, but Novato remains a nice small town to raise your family. If you find yourself in Novato, do not miss breakfast at Marvins on Grant Avenue! A small venue with a very local crowd, Marvins serves up the heartiest breakfasts in town, with fluffy omelets, crispy hash browns, and sourdough toast. Mmmmm! |
San Francisco |
No visit to Northern California would be complete
without a visit to San Francisco. San Francisco is a beautiful city,
full of grace and character. Clean by most big city standards, S.F. has
beautiful parks, full of local people. Even the beaches are well used,
cold water included. And the restaurants, oh so good! Well, we had to eat,
so listen to this; how about a restaurant called The Stinking Rose?
This place is something else! First, we tasted, a less than subtle, dish
of mashed garlic cooked in olive oil. This is enjoyed with a spicy garlic
relish spread on a crunchy sourdough baguette. We ordered pasta dishes,
soups, and a nice lamb stew. Each dish we enjoyed was liberally infused
with the stinking rose; garlic. Small menu and wine list, but more than
enough garlic to satisfy the palate of anyone!
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San Rafael |
Do you have a Trader Joe's in your neighborhood? Lucky you,
if so! Trader Joe's is to a supermarket, what a gourmet restaurant is to
a McDonalds. Whatever tasty treats you crave and need for making your finest
gourmet dishes are there at Trader Joe's. We found wines from all over
the world, cheeses from everywhere, and small practical household items
like soaps and candles; even dog shampoo. But the prices are what will
keep you coming back for more! We stocked up! We'll worry about how to
get it home later!
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Larkspur
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Smack dab in the middle of Marin County is the
town of Larkspur. Larkspur has the look of a small town in the adolescent
period of growth; not beautiful, but full of potential. Towards the eastern
part of Larkspur, you can find the popular, Marin Brewing Company, at Larkspur
Landing off Hwy. 101. Always busy, always noisy, Marin Brewing Company
serves up the best microbrews I've ever tasted! Witty use of local landmarks
in their brew names results in some funny beers like, San Quentin Breakout
Stout, Mt. Tam Pale Ale, and Stinson Beach Peach. (I brought a case home,
but don't ask, I'm not sharing it!) We went twice during the week we were
in Marin County, and both times we tried a variety of beers ( all in moderation,
of course), and were not disappointed once! This place is a "must
stop by" if you are in the area!
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Muir Woods |
On a clear Saturday morning, no matter what time
you get there, you will find hundreds of tourists already piling out of
cars and tour buses at Muir Woods. One of the most popular tourist destinations
in Northern California, Muir Woods on a cool Northern California is a awe
inspiring theater of pristine beauty. We hiked up the beautiful hillside
inside the park, on an easy trail that loops back to the valley floor for
an easy return trip on the flats. The air inside the redwood grove was
the purest we have smelled in years! Go and see (or smell) for yourself!
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Boston, Massachusetts |
We arrived in Boston on a classic, crisp East Coast
morning. A short cab ride from the airport brought us to Beacon Hill, one
of the oldest and finest neighborhoods in Boston. We stayed in a B&B
on Garden Street. If you ever are in the neighborhood and need a place
to stay, give our host Moya a call at (617) 227-4588. She has a beautiful,
if small, condo that boasts the best tourist base-camp location we have
ever found on our trips to Boston; 5 minutes from everywhere!
We enjoyed the best of Boston summer weather while we stayed. During the day the temps hovered around the high 70's, while at night they stayed mildly in the low 70's. We, quite by chance, caught a Peter White concert in the park one day. It was an end-of-summer party, put on by the City and a local radio station. We also did some window shopping on Newbury Street, the section of town for the Boston trendy fashions, and walked down to the North End for fresh produce and lobster shopping in the North End's Italian markets. There is nothing like a fresh Italian round bread with domestic (Canadian) proscuitto and provolone cheese accompanied by a glass of wine for lunch! One last note on Boston; if you have never been to Filene's Basement, you have never been sale shopping! We found famous designer (really!) men's suits for as low as $65, and other shopping treats that had us going back the very next day. However, you have to know how to dive in East Coast style! I missed out on 4 Italian designer suits for $65 each, because I wasn't quick enough! One more last note on Boston; don't rent a car. Boston is the most "walkable" city we have ever visited. One day we walked from Beacon Hill to Fenway Park, around to the South End (Boston's up and coming "artsy" neighborhood), and back to the North End, in a short afternoon. Of course, if you can pick up a pair of Doc Martens, your feet will enjoy it too. And lastly, much to the credit of Boston's warm and hospitable residents, during the week we stayed, there was not one violent crime on the news! |
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Cambridge, Massachusetts |
Cambridge is the home of the venerable mind development universities;
Harvard and MIT. But the students of these schools are not all bookworms.
We found Cambridge full of nightclubs, coffee shops and other very effective
academic distractions. One of the hottest distractions we found
was Brew Moon. Brew Moon is a microbrewery
and restaurant worth visiting. A full menu, including the hottest jerk
chicken wings we've ever tasted, went well beyond the standard bar staples.
The brews; second to none! If you make there, try the Lunar Sampler;
a stainless steel rack of 4 oz. samplers of the 6 tap brews. You'll need
each and every glass to quell the burning habaneros chili-infused jerk
chicken wings!
Another interesting shop was The Garment District on Main St. in Cambridge. There you find a very large two-story warehouse full of used, excuse me, vintage clothing. On the ground floor you can sift through knee-high piles of clothing on the floor for your $1/pound bargain! Check it out if you're brave. |
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Seattle, Washington |
In Seattle believe or not, we expected to find good weather. After
all why not, this was the one month that locals say is the best weather.
And last time we were here, it was nice! Well, we were greeted at SeaTac
airport with blue skies and perfect temperatures. Unfortunately, it was
not to last more than a day, because we got our first taste of a hurricane,
Seattle-style! The news reports said stay indoors because they were
expecting high winds and funnel clouds. Before long hail the size
of marbles was pelting our poor little Dodge Neon rental car! They
forgot to mention the hail! Good thing we got the full coverage collision
damage waiver! It didn't last long, but we had a good scare!
Well, when the weather permitted, we headed out to our favorite shopping spot, Costco. Kirkland now has meaning to us. We kept seeing the name on products at the Salt Lake Costco back home, but had no idea what it meant. Well, Kirkland Costco is the king of Costco's! If they don't have it there, you just don't need it! Oh yeah, and don't forget to pick up $1 cafe mochas at the "hot dog stand" outside! Another big deal is the SuperMall in Auburn. It was truly huge. We spent the better part of one day there, without seeing every shop; including the mother of all Computer City's called The Incredible Universe. |
Our reason for visiting Oregon was to attend a family reunion. We have
family in Bend, Brookings, and North Bend (no relation to Bend). We drove
down Interstate 5 at 70 m.p.h., which I must admit was very exhilarating
for a Hawaii resident. You see, in Hawaii, the fastest we can go is 55
m.p.h., and the usual speed limit is 50 m.p.h. So, I volunteered to drive
the whole way.
We made good time going down I5 through Portland, and Eugene.
We cut across through some beautiful valley forests and found ourselves
at the ruggedly beautiful Oregon Coast.
The destination: a large beachhouse near the mouth of Coos Bay, Oregon.
It was beautiful! A large deck off the back of the house offered unobstruced
views of the bay, with it's lighthouse faithfully shining brightly every
night. The beach was vacant of other life, save for some delicious mussels,
and a myriad of seagulls. Just around the lighthouse point, was a sea lion
refuge, and the calm cold waters of Sunset Bay.
We had a wonderful time visiting with family; eating, sleeping, relaxing
on the sundeck in high 70 degree weather, and listening to the more talented
members of the family read their poetry.
It wasn't long, however, before it was time to drive back to Seattle.
We all promisedeach other to do it again soon.
Well, it had been 3 long, enjoyable weeks of vacation. It was time to
go home. As much as you enjoy seeing other places, Dorothy from "The
Wizard of Oz" said it all, "There is no place like home."
We are back now. Oh, how good it is to be in your own bed again! We have
many pictures, some of which we will find a way of sharing here in the
days to come. There is no way we could write about every detail of our
getaway, but it was full of good memories. If you are planning a trip soon
to any of the places we visited, and would like a liitle more information,
please feel free to drop us some email
and we'll share what we enjoyed.
Finally, thanks to all our friends who hospitably put up with us (and
put us up) along the way:
Mark and Gail Porter
The Yim Family
Moya Whiting
The Adams Family (no, not the Addams Family!)
The Anderson Family
The Lum Family
The Tokashiki Family
a special thanks to NBT Beliso, for the most relaxing, enjoyable time
of all,
and finally to Extreme Hawaii Fun for letting us share our Mainland
Vacation with you!
All Rights Reserved - Copyright 1996 Extreme Hawaii Fun
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